Resistance training, particularly using weight, is a popular form of exercise, whether for aesthetic improvement by increasing muscle size and/or tone or as part of a regime directed at overall health and wellness.
Barbells with weights are a common type of exercise equipment. Typically, a barbell will take the form of an elongate shaft with flanges disposed inwardly of each end. Weight plates, which are typically disc-shaped or hexagon-shaped, are placed on each end of the barbell by aligning a central mounting aperture in the weight plate with the end of the barbell and sliding the weight plate along the end of the barbell until the weight plate abuts the flange or the innermost weight on that side of the barbell. This enables the weight of the barbell to be varied according to the exercise being performed and the capability of the person performing the exercise.
In some cases, an individual may perform an exercise using one or more weight plates, without using a barbell. For example, an exercise known as a “front raise” or “front deltoid raise” may be performed by a user gripping the edges of a disc-shaped weight plate and raising his or her arms in front of the body. To facilitate this type of exercise, some disc-shaped weight plates include grip apertures adjacent the edges of the weight plate. U.S. Pat. No. D572320 to Davies teaches a disc-shaped weight plate with equally spaced grip apertures disposed adjacent the edge of the weight plate.